20.8.14

The Benefit of Bathing: Feel Preened & Pampered After A Long Soak

In my house, Tuesday nights are bath nights. It's the one time I get every week when the house is empty and quiet, so I turn off my computer, put the phone to one side and slip into a warm sweet-smelling tub of water. Having that hour to myself to disconnect from all the technology and craziness that fills my life really makes a huge difference - I definitely feel it if I don't get my weekly bath session over the coming days. There are so many ways you can benefit from a soak, both physically and emotionally, and here are some of my favourites.

1. Escape From Reality
After a long day of meetings, city streets and demanding colleagues, a simple soak can help you switch off and let your mind float away. When we take the day's stresses and strains with us into the bedroom it's much harder to drift off to sleep and get a great eight hours under the duvet - especially when the blue glare from smartphones, tablets and laptops suppresses the production of melatonin, the major hormone that controls sleep cycles. Laying in silence in a warm bath is possibly the only moment we can regularly have to ourselves in such a technology-focused world. Make the most of it - your body and mind will thank you.

2. Catch Up With A Magazine
How often are you willingly parted from your smartphone and have a spare hour to read a magazine or catch up with a book? I have piles of magazines waiting to be read, but it's incredibly difficult for me to turn of the TV and focus on just reading - I always want to do three things at once. With bath time comes a few moments to catch up with your favourite mag, read a book or find out what's going on in the world; I love reading the inspirational and reflective articles in Elle, which are perfect for providing inspiration or simply motivating me into action.

3. Reap The Skincare Benefits
Adding some caring and nourishing ingredients to your bath water will help leave your skin feeling super smooth once you step out. Honey is great at soothing irritated skin, softening and detoxifying in one step, so add two big tablespoons to the bathwater under a running tap - it'll smell amazing and feel incredible on the skin. Massage your limbs with a few drops of Dove's Purely Pampering Nourishing Oil when you step out of the bath; the oil will help to nourish the skin thanks to the inclusion of Linoleic Acid, Omega 6 and Vitamin E, leaving you ready for bed in one step. 4. Get Masked
A great face mask can help to remove impurities, hydrate and leave skin feeling incredibly supple, while an intensive hair treatment can help to repair damage and leave your barnet feeling super healthy. If you struggle finding the time to give yourself a weekly treatment, then an hour in the bath is the perfect excuse to cover yourself in goodness and let it get to work. I love sitting in the bath covered in fancy goop, making the most of the hour and doing all my maintenance at once - the heat from the bath also helps to open pores on the face and cuticles on the hair, aiding the performance of the products and ensuring maximum benefit.

Why not run yourself a bath this evening and enjoy the time alone to relax... The Dove 'Purely Pampering' Week is sponsored by Dove.